Residents unhappy with Stratford’s flooding issues
According to residents, beavers built a damn [sic] on Peck’s Pond, which connects to Pumpkin Ground Brook. They say they’ve experienced flooding as a result of the dam, which started in October.
Department of Public Works officials say they tried to create a piping system to keep the water level to no avail. Attempts to breach the damn were also unsuccessful.
The town’s solution is to trap and kill the beavers. Officials say it’s not a solution they wanted to come to. Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials say they can’t trap and relocate the beavers.
That’s right, channel 12 news couldn’t pass up an opportunity to swear about beavers and said they built a damn. (Does that mean if the flooding gets worse they’ll say they built a god damn?) Apparently public works put a weighted pipe through the dam but can’t understand why that doesn’t stop beavers? The video shows the pipe flowing, so if they didn’t just blow it out, it’s clearly not big enough to handle the amount of water needed to control flooding. At any rate the city needs to pry open its clenched wallet and actually hire Mike or Skip who actually know what they’re doing. Looks like public pressure might help that happen.
Beaver advocates to speak to Town Council
People concerned about the town’s plans to trap and kill beavers in Roosevelt Forest are planning to ask town officials if anything can be done to change the trapping plans.
A group of Fairfield County animal activists and concerned residents will ask Mayor John Harkins and the Town Council at tonight’s regular council meeting about town’s plans to remove beavers who have settled at Pumpkin Ground Brook. The activists plan to speak to the Council during tonight’s public forum, which begins at 6:45 p.m. in the Town Council chambers. They also plan to host a brief demonstration regarding the trapping at 6:15 p.m.
The animal activists will ask if the Town Council can overrule the Roosevelt Forest Commission’s decision to lay down traps. Town officials opted to trap the beavers to alleviate flooding in the forest after residents living on Barrister Road complained in October. After Public Works crews tried to break up the dam and installed a flow device to prevent the water backup, the beavers patched up the dam, leaving commissioners with little choice.
Before the meeting they’re going to have a little demonstration too. Something to bring the news cameras I warrant. All this fuss – wouldn’t it be easier to do this right from the beginning? I wrote the forest commission and the mayor yesterday about what to do and real solutions. Do you think anyone will listen? I’m not holding my breath, but we’ll see.
Yesterday Jon and I went down memory lane and kept watch at the Escobar bridge from 6:30 to 7:30. We saw no beavers but it was surprisingly familiar and peaceful. One young man strolled by and asked if we had seen any beavers. He said he had watched a muskrat yesterday at about this time. As if hearing his cue, a rather fat and happy muskrat suddenly appeared out of the area of the latest beaver home, swam across the bank and hopped up onto the shore to paddle in the bushes and get some food. After this he marched back down, hopped in the water, and dove back into the lodge.
Maybe feeding a family?
I was thinking how happy he must be to have the space all to himself! He looked like we all feel after a the very large man sitting next to us gets off the bus. Apparently Napa saw one too, so maybe its the season.
Delightful presents arrived last night. Jamie Larson of Tags and Tiles in Havasu Arizona has a soft spot for beavers and was encouraged by our story to donate six of her gloriously layered dogtag necklaces. She even created them especially for us! If you can believe it, they are even more adorable in person. But if you want a beaver I’d go buy one yourself now, because it will be cheaper than the bidding war we’re going to see on August 6.
